Hope Springs Eternal

Claxby

This month will see the fourth anniversary of the initial report to LCC Highways (LCCH) 'Fix My Street' internet reporting facility and it is not a Happy Birthday. Needless to say it still remains to be fixed despite over 20 reports in the past year!

So much so that had LCCH carried out the necessary remedial work when first alerted what will now be a very expensive project involving over 200m of roadway would have been easily affordable.

The whole surface of Normanby Rise is now a patchwork of recently filled potholes, filled but breaking up potholes and unfilled potholes. There is now more evidence of potholes than the original surface which, having been dug up to put in sewage and mains water pipes is also breaking up.

Because the verge drainage ditches and a culvert are blocked every time it rains more and more of the surface is washed away downhill.

The road has a 7.5t limit meaningless because the giant 44t artics and huge tractors with caterpillar tracks all have exemption because they are farm vehicles.

The road is not wide enough to accommodate these vast machines and as a consequence the verges are gouged out and pitted to a depth of over 2 feet. Woe betide

any unsuspecting motorist falling in because it would undoubtedly be goodbye to the front suspension and significant parts of bodywork. Even the threat of paying out

large amounts of compensation has no effect on LCCH.

The village has three access roads,(No! make that two because that from the

North is now an often flooded, deteriorating and potholed farm track that many villagers refuse to use. Soon it may be only 1 !

We appeal for help in our hour of need before we are cut off even more from

civilisation.

Our plight is akin to Macbeth as an ode to LCCH:

Tommorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day

To the last syllable of recorded time

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. Out out brief candle

Life's like a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more

It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury

Signifying nothing!